The A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning. Update 2010: OPERATING RULES Version 2 March 2011

Transcription

1 The A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning Update 2010: OPERATING RULES Version 2 March 2011 The Charter for Sustainable Cleaning is a voluntary initiative of the European soaps, detergents and maintenance products industry. The aim is to encourage the whole industry to undertake continual improvement in terms of sustainability and also to encourage consumers to adopt more sustainable ways of doing their washing, cleaning and household maintenance. The Charter is a lifecycle analysis based framework. It promotes and facilitates a common industry approach to sustainability practice and reporting. A wide variety of activities and initiatives are covered, ranging from the human and environmental safety of chemicals and products, to eco-efficiency, occupational health and safety, resource use and consumer information. A.I.S.E., which represents the soaps, detergents and maintenance products industry in Europe, manages the Charter scheme on its behalf. 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS: Page number PART ONE: BACKGROUND 1. Summary Review Process Charter version Other existing A.I.S.E. initiatives Political environment on sustainable production and consumption PART TWO: CHARTER 2010 OPERATING RULES 6. Charter update 2010: Charter Sustainability Procedures (CSPs) Introduction - Charter 2010 CSPs - CSP verification: equivalence with other standards 7. Charter update 2010: Independent verification Charter update 2010: Product Dimension (ASPs) Charter update 2010: KPIs Charter update 2010: On pack indication/trade Marks Charter update 2010: Implementation procedure Charter update 2010: Legal review Charter update 2010: Consultation, communications and timetable PART THREE : APPENDICES APPENDIX A: THE SCP/SIP ACTION PLAN APPENDIX B: TABLE OF CSP EQUIVALENCES (summary) APPENDIX C: COMPLIANCE FLOWCHART 2

3 PART ONE: BACKGROUND 1. Summary The soaps, detergents and maintenance products industry has had a long-standing commitment to encouragement of sustainable development, having implemented a variety of voluntary initiatives over the last decade to further promote human and environmental safety and reduce environmental impact. Launch of the Charter The principal expression of this commitment is the A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning ( the Charter ) which was rolled out during in all EU countries plus Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, covering all product categories of the industry, whether in the household or industrial and institutional sectors. This voluntary initiative is a life-cycle-based framework for promoting a common industry approach to sustainability improvement and reporting. Companies signed up to the Charter commit to: embrace a policy of continual improvement at the manufacturing level be independently verified on their sustainability procedures report annually on their performance under a series of Key Performance Indicators. In recognition of the commitment companies may use the Charter logo on pack. Success to date In the Charter s first four full years of operation ( ), verified returns from companies demonstrate how their voluntary commitment to continual improvement has yielded positive results across all Europe in topics such as energy consumed, CO 2 emitted, consumer communication. As at 1 October 2010, there are 122 companies in membership - 63 manufacturers and 59 distributors - representing more than 80% of all output in the EU. A living scheme From the outset, the Charter has been seen as a living scheme, with a broad commitment to update it regularly. The A.I.S.E. vision is, through regular upgrades of the Charter, to aim at constantly offering the most advanced sustainability assurance scheme for promoting best practices within the industry, using LCA and scientific data as a basis. An inherent principle is that the proposed advanced sustainability profile for the industry should be ambitious but reasonably achievable by all. Work on the first major update has been given added urgency by the publication in July 2008 of the EU Commission s own SCP/SIP 2 Action Plan. Therefore, as well as reviewing the current operation of the Charter it was felt important to ensure that its overall objectives correlate with the EU Commission s Action Plan objectives. The announcement of the first major revision as Charter 2010 was done on the occasion of the A.I.S.E. Information Day on 2 nd December 2009, for training and roll-out from mid 2010 onwards. 1 The Charter was announced at EU level by A.I.S.E in December 2004; it was then rolled out across Europe from March 2005 onwards. 2 SCP/SIP: Sustainable Consumption and Production/Sustainable Industrial Policy- See Appendix 1 3

4 Product dimension The major change being proposed in Charter update 2010 is to introduce a product dimension. This addition follows the feedback gained from stakeholder consultation and fits very well with the overall objectives of the SCP/SIP Action Plan, and particularly in the spirit of the eco-design directive. At present, use of the logo on pack signifies that the product is manufactured by a company committed under the Charter to continual improvement in sustainability across a wide range of manufacturing parameters. Under the product dimension, an enhanced version of the logo may be used on a product which is not only manufactured by the Charter Member but also meets certain advanced sustainability characteristics. This extension of the Charter follows feedback from stakeholders. The predominant comment has been that the logo should not only say something about the manufacturer but also about the product. Summary of proposed revisions The following are the main proposals for Charter update 2010: 1) Revisions to some of the existing Charter Sustainability Procedures, and addition of one new one (on the internal target setting); 2) Creation of a system of equivalences between the Charter Sustainability Procedures and ISO and certain other standards in order to avoid duplication between the Charter verification process and regular company audits; 3) Extension for the entrance to apply the CSPs to a minimum of 75% of the production (instead of 50% in Charter 2005). 4) Development of the Product Dimension through the addition of Advanced Sustainability Profiles (ASPs) for product categories, enabling companies to give a sustainability assurance for individual products, with a distinctive Charter 2010 ASP logo ; compliance to those ASPs would remain voluntary (hence not mandatory) but will be strongly encouraged when committing to Charter Only companies fulfilling also this ASP criteria would be able to use the Charter 2010 ASP logo. 5) Extension of the range of information recommended for consumers and end-users; 6) Addition of a KPI relating to the proportion of ASP rated products and refined reporting criteria for current KPIs. This document sets out all the Charter 2010 review details and its operating rules. The implementation of Charter 2010 does not put an end to Charter Transition elements for companies currently in Charter 2005 for Charter update 2010 have been anticipated and are detailed in the documentation. 4

5 2. Review Process Managing the review of the Charter The review work began in summer 2007, prompted partly because three years had elapsed since the first roll-out of the Charter, and partly because the political agenda was shifting. Climate change concerns were rising rapidly to the top; the industry faced an important new area regulatory control in the evolving EU policy on sustainable consumption and production; other policy instruments such as ecolabel were due to be revised; and some member states were looking at introducing unilateral CO 2 and/or environmental labelling. Drafting the review was the task of the Sustainability Steering Group, working with two expert Task Forces comprising the industry s leading experts on sustainability, life cycle analysis and ecotoxicity. The general direction of the review was regularly shared and endorsed by the A.I.S.E. Management Committee, National Associations Committee, Companies Committee and Board. Steps in the progress of the review The concept for the product dimension was worked out internally, and tested with a variety of audiences in industry, through consultation, and among external stakeholders. The product dimension has been designed as a framework of environmental and lifecycle parameter criteria which together define what the industry considers represents an Advanced Sustainability Profile ( ASPs ) for a category. The framework can be applied differently according to what the key drivers of sustainability are for each category. To illustrate the way it will work, the three laundry categories (powders, liquids and fabric conditioners) have been fully elaborated, and are given as examples in a separate document. Other categories are being initiated from mid 2010 onwards. Process for implementation A two-staged consultation The next phases of the review process propose the following two-staged process: 1) First, an overall consultation of the proposed Charter 2010 upgrade (from 20 Oct. till 12 Nov. 2009); this was intended to take in comments on the general principles of the scheme. Such overall consultation was particularly sought from: - Current Charter 2005 members and associate members - National Associations and their members - Current Charter verifiers - Targeted external stakeholders 2) Second, an ad-hoc consultation on the ASPs (for three pilot product categories from 18 Dec till 27 Jan. 2010). Three pilot products were subject to ASP development. The detailed criteria as well as proposed implementation timing was subject to consultation with industry, for feasibility aspects. The detailed process on such consultations on ASPs is explained later in the document. 3) Third, a consultation took place in Sept 2009 and between April 2010 on the Environmental Safety Check tool and principles (one aspect of the ASP for wave 1 products). 5

6 3. Charter version 2005 Basic features The Charter for Sustainable Cleaning - version 2005 ( Charter 2005 ) consists of a set of eleven Charter Sustainability Procedures (CSPs) which companies implement in their management systems. Six are essential CSPs which have to be checked by an independent external verifier during the Charter Entrance Check; the other five, which are additional, have to be added for the first re-verification after joining the Charter and for subsequent three-yearly re-verifications. It is open to all companies, whether a member or non-member of A.I.S.E., and whether manufacturing, distributing, or placing on the market soaps, detergents, maintenance products or cleaning systems, either for household or industrial/institutional use. It is relevant both to manufacturing companies placing products directly on the market as well to retailers and distributors wishing to apply the Charter to private label products. Manufacturers join as Ordinary Members and go through the Entrance Check. Retailers and distributors join as Associate Members and do not have to pass an Entrance Check but do have to commit to the rules of the scheme. Entrance Check At the Entrance Check, manufacturing companies need to demonstrate that at least 50% of their production tonnage is covered by the CSPs, and at the next verification after three years the minimum coverage rises to 75%. Thereafter, verifications continue every three years and members commit to work towards 100% coverage. In the 2008 KPI Report, the average coverage was 97%. List of Charter version 2005 CSPs => Essential CSPs for Entrance Check: A Raw material selection and safety evaluation D Resource use policy E Occupational health and safety management F Manufacturing environmental management system H Product recall system I Finished product safety evaluation => Additional CSPs for subsequent 3-yearly verifications B Raw material supplier selection C Packaging design and selection G Distribution risk assessment J Consumer and user information K Product performance and product review Verification The Charter Entrance Check is performed by an independent external verifier. The verifier must be accredited by an official certificating body under the European Accreditation system and be accepted by A.I.S.E. The verifier visits the company to verify that the required processes are in place, are under control and are applied. The verification process is designed to follow a well-defined path, which leads both the verifier and the company undergoing the Entrance Check through the CSPs and directs attention to critical sustainability procedures. A.I.S.E. provides training modules for the companies prior to the verification procedures. The secured Charter Extranet is used to record company details and compliance levels during the Entrance Check. The security safeguards ensure that neither the verifier, nor A.I.S.E., can be unduly influenced whilst the Charter Entrance Checks are being carried out. Accredited verifiers for the Charter for Sustainable Cleaning: Aenor, BVQI, Certiquality, DQS, Dr. W. Bethäuser, DS Certificering, Happy Note, JJD Consultant, Lloyd s Register, OFC, Quality Masters, SGS, Two Tomorrows group (includes the former SD3), Umweltgutachter H. von Knobelsdorff, URS Verification. 6

7 Commitment letter and trade mark license Once a company has been successfully verified, it commits to the Charter by signing both the commitment letter and the Charter licence for the use of the logo. The commitment includes a requirement to report annually to A.I.S.E. on a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs KPI reporting is based on the results from companies which are Ordinary members of the Charter as at 31 st December in each year, and the companies report their results for their own financial years ending during the calendar year. Associate members, predominantly multiple retailers placing products on the market under their own labels but manufactured by Ordinary members, do not normally report directly but contribute to the reporting by individual Ordinary members where they hold relevant information. A.I.S.E. ensures full transparency of the reported KPIs by conducting independent random verification of companies KPI calculation methods. KPI main headings: Company participation Chemical safety evaluation Occupational health and safety Consumer and customer safety Consumer and user information Use of poorly biodegradable organics Consumed energy CO 2 emitted Consumed water Waste Packaging used Charter version 2005 logo(s) Once admitted to the Charter membership, companies are entitled to use the Charter logo(s), for which several variants had been developed, to be applied as appropriate to the relevant product category. These logos when used on companies material/on packs etc- certifies that the company is officially committed to the A.IS.E Charter for sustainable cleaning and is following sustainability principles, giving priority to improvements in people s safety, environmental friendliness, and to other key aspects of sustainability, without compromising product performance. Any product 7

8 Success to date In the Charter s first four full years of operation ( ), verified returns from companies demonstrate how their voluntary commitment to continual improvement has yielded positive results across all Europe: Charter progress Since launch: 122 members (manufacturers and distributors/retailers) Over 80% of output in EU + 4 covered KPIs demonstrate progress over four years Participation +210% Chem risk assessment +8.9% Care lines +111% Safe use info on pack +148% Energy use -5.5% CO 2 emissions -8.9% Packaging -1.5% Waste -3.9% But no clear progress yet in PBOs, water As at 4 March 2011, there are 132 companies in membership - 67 manufacturers and 65 distributors - representing more than 80% of all output in the EU (see list below). 8

9 4. Other existing A.I.S.E. initiatives A.I.S.E. has launched a number of separate initiatives in recent years, mostly for specific categories, which also have as their goal the improvement of the sustainability profile of the category. With the launch of Charter 2010, the intention is to align and/or incorporate these other initiatives in the Charter 2010 scheme for categories so that there is overall coherence. Such alignment and incorporation does not mean that these other initiatives will cease to exist. Nor does it prevent new separate initiatives in the future. It means only that the Charter takes them into account so that there is a coherent approach to the A.I.S.E. s sustainability strategy. Washright: A.I.S.E. developed in 1998 a series of visuals to support the Washright initiative. These were designed to optimise consumers washing habits towards more environmentally-friendly use of household laundry detergents across Europe. Whilst being associated initially to the necessary commitment by companies to a European industry initiative between 1998 and 2003 (the A.I.S.E. Code of Good environmental practice implemented in EU countries), these visuals have been since 2004 made available freely by A.I.S.E. to any company placing household laundry detergents in Europe. Mid 2008 and mid 2010, A.I.S.E. agreed to further fine tune the initial Washright panel in order to make it more up-to-date and clearer for consumers. (see Safe Use Icons: In 2005, A.I.S.E. developed a combined set of safe use tips together with related icons for best and safe use of cleaning products. Applicable for household cleaning products, these tips are directly associated with the A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning. The soaps, detergents, and maintenance products industry wants to remind consumers of some key and basic rules to be observed when using their products. The icons are communicated via on-pack labelling and other communication, such as websites and leaflets. These icons underwent extensive consumer research (GFK 2004) and external consultations. Through the development of these harmonised messages and icons across Europe, the industry remains committed to improving the effectiveness of labels so that it continues to provide the most important information to consumers, where and when they need it. (see Laundry Sustainability Projects (LSPs): On 1 January 2009, A.I.S.E. launched the Laundry Sustainability Project 2 in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, designed to bring about major sustainability savings in total resource usage, packaging and transport. The initiative runs until 31 December In addition to encouraging compaction in the product format, which makes direct sustainability savings, LSP-compliant packs also carry valuable advice for consumers on optimum usage in order to help bring about more sustainability awareness among consumers. These products are appearing in large numbers throughout Europe. A.I.S.E. is also expanding the concept to household liquid laundry detergents. A Laundry Sustainability Project for Liquids opened for companies commitment on 1 July 2009, and will run until 30 June (see 9

10 The A.I.S.E. Save Energy and Water Project: The Save Energy and Water (SEW) project was launched in June It is focused on domestic automatic dishwashing (ADW) detergents and aims primarily at encouraging consumers to use the auto, 55 C, or 50 C wash cycles, in order to save energy and water. Companies which commit to the project can use the distinctive Save Energy and Water logo on their ADW products. This logo also demonstrates that the performance attained by the product will not be affected by use at a lower temperature. The companies involved are also invited to promote the concept on corporate and brand websites. The logo is now appearing on ADW products across the European Union, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, and a website is available in 24 languages, giving consumers tips on sustainable dishwashing. Ways of integrating this programme in Charter 2010 will be considered when the ADW sector parameters are finalised in due course. (see Air Fresheners Product Stewardship Programme: The Air Fresheners Product Stewardship Programme (AFPSP), launched in October 2007 builds on a series of voluntary initiatives already undertaken by A.I.S.E. in the domain of safety assessment and sustainability. The programme is aimed at companies that produce and place air fresheners on the market regardless of whether or not they are A.I.S.E. members. Companies which sign up to the programme must abide by a set of rules promoting responsible practice in the industry. The rules cover manufacturing, use and consumer communications across the EU, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. As with ADW, ways of integrating this programme in Charter 2010 will be considered when the Air Freshener category parameters are finalised in due course. (see The information website: In 2008, A.I.S.E. and the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) jointly launched the Cleanright website ( This website is currently available in English, French, German, Polish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Hungarian, Swedish, Slovene reaching out to more than 370 million consumers in Europe! - and aims to answer a broad range of questions on household detergents and maintenance products. The centrepiece of the website is an interactive animated house containing everyday household items and surfaces which reveal a whole host of useful information. The face of the Cleanright website, Mr Sponge, is on hand to guide visitors through the rooms. The user-friendly website reaches out to multiple audiences through a two-fold approach: information in coloured tabs is mainly targeted at consumers, with a focus on best and safe use advice, energy saving tips, ways to reduce utility bills, how to get the best results from cleaning products and the role they play in maintaining our belongings by preserving them; information in grey tabs is more in-depth for interested stakeholders, and covers voluntary initiatives, safety assessment, scientific information and an A to Z of ingredients. It is foreseen to make the Cleanright website available to an even greater number of consumers in the future. Charter 2010 will support and encourage reference to the Cleanright website in all appropriate ways. This will be a recommendation specified per product category as appropriate through each Advanced Sustainability Profile. (see 10

11 5. Political environment on sustainable production and consumption In July 2008, the European Commission released an Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and production/sustainable Industrial Policy (SCP/SIP), in the context of the Lisbon Strategy ( ) and the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) adopted in This Action Plan has been essentially lead by DG Environment, DG Enterprise & Industry, DG Energy. The activities in the Action Plan include: 1/ A dynamic framework for smarter consumption and better products Ecodesign requirements for more products. Reinforced energy and environmental labelling. Incentives Promote Green Public Procurement for highly performing products. Working with retailers and consumers. 2/ Promoting leaner production Resource efficiency, eco-innovation Environmental potential of industry Developing an industrial policy for eco-industries 3/ Sustainable consumption and production internationally Supporting agreements of industry sectors (Sectoral approaches) as part of international climate negotiations. Promoting and sharing good practice Promoting international trade in environmentally friendly goods and services. (See further details in Appendix A) Analysis for A.I.S.E.: The SCP/SIP package aims at influencing production and consumption by consumers and customers and is therefore tackling profound habit changes for medium to long term societal changes. Quite naturally, daily products such as fast moving consumer goods and services falling in the A.I.S.E. industry portfolio - which also have some linkage to environmental matters - are thus targeted (more or less directly) by such policies. The SCP/SIP package can therefore be viewed as an opportunity for A.I.S.E. for constructive contributions and advocacy work, especially given the proactive work conducted by the association over the last 12 years on such domains, through voluntary agreements. Activities related to product design, promotion of sustainable consumption are thus of particular relevance to such political environment. This has also been coupled by recent developments e.g. in France (Grenelle 1 and 2) and in Belgium (Printemps de l Environnement), where sectoral initiatives have been suggested with regard to the promotion of environmental labelling and where laundry detergents are often proposed as pilot. The drafting of the Charter 2010 upgrade has therefore been also very much inspired by such developments at EU and national levels. 11

12 PART TWO: CHARTER UPDATE 2010 OPERATING RULES 6. Charter update 2010: Charter Sustainability Procedures (CSPs) a) Introduction The section below provides details at to how the current Charter Sustainability Procedures (CSPs) in Charter 2005 are being upgraded and added to in Charter update In order to make the alignment of Charter 2010 with the sustainability objectives of the SCP/SIP Action Plan more apparent, and to elaborate the system for implementing the Product Dimension, the CSPs are to be re-arranged as follows: 1)Company level Matters that affect all production horizontally, within the control of companies, e.g., resource use, product recall system 2)Product level Matters affecting individual products, within the control of companies, e.g., raw material selection, sector sustainability projects 3)End-user level On-pack and other information, e.g., safe use icons, cleanright website link, and information targeted per product category (eg washright panel). Charter update 2010: arrangement of CSPs In practice the above division into three levels means re-allocating certain of the existing Charter 2005 CSPs and adding certain new ones. CSP J is modified by separating the policy on usage of the A.I.S.E Safe Use Icons from that on Best Use information. In addition, a new CSP (L) is introduced. The changes are summarized in the table below (blue = revised; pink = new): Level 1 (company) Level 2 (product) Level 3 (end-user) Essential: D Resources use policy E Occupational health and safety management F Manufacturing environmental management H Product recall system Essential: A1 (amended) Raw material selection A2 Raw material safety evaluation I Finished product safety evaluation Additional: G Distribution safety evaluation L (new) Internal sustainability target setting Additional: B Raw material supplier selection C Packaging design and selection K1 Product performance K2 (amended) Product review Additional: J1 (re-defined) Safe Use Icons usage policy J2 (re-defined) Best Use Info usage policy per category 12

13 b) Charter update 2010 CSPs The Charter stipulates a set of Charter Sustainability Procedures (CSPs) for companies to implement in their management systems. These CSPs must apply to a minimum of 75% of the company's production. For the Entrance Check the company must be verified on the six 'Essential CSPs' by an independent external verifier in order to provide assurance that the company does have the required processes in place, under control, and adequately applied. The other six CSPs, which are the 'Additional CSPs', have to be added for the first re-verification three years after joining the Charter and for every subsequent three-yearly re-verification. The external verification guarantees that all applicant companies are individually assessed on the same basis by a neutral, professional auditing body, and regularly re-assessed to ensure continued compliance. The company bears the cost of the Entrance Check CSP verification and the Three year additional checks. Level 1 (company) Level 2 (product) Level 3 (end-user) Essential: D Resources use policy E Occupational health and safety management F Manufacturing environmental management H Product recall system Essential: A1 Raw material selection A2 Raw material safety evaluation I Finished product safety evaluation Additional: G Distribution safety evaluation L Internal sustainability target setting Additional: B Raw material supplier selection C Packaging design and selection K1 Product performance K2 Product review Additional: J1 (re-defined) Safe Use Icons usage policy J2 (re-defined) Best Use Info usage policy per category The CSPs highlighted in green ( Essential CSPs ) must be implemented on a minimum of 75% of the production at the moment of the Entrance Check for Charter 2010 compliance. The CSP verifications, that should be run every three years after the Entrance Check, applies to all CSPs ( Essential and Additional ) highlighted in green and yellow) and should cover an increasing percentage of the production, reaching ultimately 100%. MORE INFO! In order to access the full detailed explanation of the Charter 2010 CSPs, please download via: as well as the Guidance document to the Entrance Check and Additional CSP Checks, which can be downloaded via: 13

14 c) Charter update 2010: CSP verification - equivalence with other standards Principle: With Charter 2010, where companies are already certified annually under ISO 9001, ISO 14001/EMAS, or ISO18001/OSHAS, a system of equivalences is installed whereby Charter CSPs which are essentially the same as the relevant elements of those standards can be regarded as having been already verified. Purpose: The aim is to avoid duplication of company resource spent on audits in so far as there are overlaps between those standards and the CSP requirements of Charter 2010, thereby reducing the time and cost of CSP verifications. Coverage Company manufacturing sites which are already certified under all three of ISO 9001, ISO 14001/EMAS, or ISO18001/OSHAS would automatically fulfil approximately 80% of Essential CSPs and 50% of Additional CSPs under Charter In the case of the Essential CSPs the elements not covered under any of the three standards relate to mainly to end-user information and the new ASP policies. In the case of the Additional CSPs the elements not covered relate mainly to product and packaging design review procedures. Procedure Because there are certain Charter CSPs which are not covered by any of the three external standards, it is not possible to completely exempt Charter Ordinary Members from CSP verification, either at the Entrance Check or at subsequent verifications. However, the principle will be that wherever a certificate exists under one or more of the three external standards for a specific manufacturing site, the Charter CSPs which are matched by those standards according to the table of equivalences may be treated as automatically verified. In practice, for sites certified under all three standards, this should mean Charter verification can become a simple and minor extension to the standards audit process, thereby avoiding a separate Charter verification visit. The verifier will still need to provide A.I.S.E. with a verification report, though this may be based to a greater or lesser extent on seeing copies of certificates in place of direct verification. Guidance Specific guidance to the verifiers on this aspect is provided to allow such equivalences to be actually applied, during the verifiers visits. Table of equivalences A summary list equivalences prepared by Dr Bethäuser, one of the Charter approved verifiers, is attached as APPENDIX B. MORE INFO! The full equivalence package is available from the Charter website in more details via: Synergies package - Charter 2010 CSPs and ISO 9001, ISO / EMAS and BS OHSAS ZIP file. 14

15 7. Charter 2010: Independent verification External and independent verification guarantees that all applicant companies are individually assessed on the same basis by a neutral, professional auditing body. Before a manufacturing company can join the Charter, it is visited by an external, independent verifier who must be satisfied that the company has the required CSPs in place, under control, and adequately applied. This verification process is part of the Charter Entrance Check and is designed to follow a welldefined path, directing attention in turn to each of the critical sustainability elements. All requirements under the CSPs are rated and recorded by the independent verifier via a secured website called the Charter extranet. Such verifications form an integral part of the Charter. At the Entrance Check stage the company will be verified on the 'Essential CSPs', and at the first re-verification after three years the 'Additional CSPs' are added to the verification requirement. Verifications on all CSPs continue every three years subsequently. Safeguards are built in to ensure that neither the verifier nor A.I.S.E. can be influenced whilst the checks are being carried out. Through the Charter extranet, A.I.S.E. provides training modules so that companies can assess, improve and test themselves on their performance prior to the actual audit. In addition to the CSP checks, the annual reporting on KPIs is also verified each year through a system of random audits of reporting companies, again by an independent external verifier. A.I.S.E. has commissioned the external verifier SGS to check the data gathering processes used for the collection of KPI data by Charter companies. The verifier verifies that the company's KPI data collection processes are well established and reliable and can be applied consistently from year to year. Similar external verification will also be conducted in the context of Charter 2010 and its additional ASP system (the product dimension). Random verifications of the appropriate implementation of the different ASP requirements will be conducted. Accredited verifiers for the Charter for Sustainable Cleaning: Aenor, BVQI, Certiquality, DQS, Dr. W. Bethäuser, DS Certificering, Happy Note, JJD Consultant, Lloyd s Register, OFC, Quality Masters, SGS, Two Tomorrows group (includes the former SD3), Umweltgutachter H. von Knobelsdorff, URS Verification. MORE INFO! In order to have more details on the independent verification, or in order to apply to become a Charter accredited verifier, please visit: 15

16 8. Charter update 2010: Product Dimension (ASPs) a) Introduction The main new feature in the Charter 2010 package which differentiates it from Charter 2005 is the creation of the Product Dimension. It is a voluntary extension available to Charter members, and does not affect existing Charter rights. The idea behind the Product Dimension is to extend the Charter s scope so that a differentiated logo on pack may be used which signifies not only that the manufacturer is committed to certain sustainability processes at the manufacturing level (as under Charter 2005), but also that the product itself meets certain advanced sustainability criteria created for each A.I.S.E. product category, whether in the household or in the industrial & institutional cleaning sector; those are called the Advanced Sustainability Profiles (ASP). To distinguish products which meet the category ASP a special version of the Charter Logo is introduced: the Charter update 2010 ASP Logo (see Chapter 10). Because sustainability applies as much to manufacturing as to a product s intrinsic qualities and its end-use, the ASPs for products are an integral part of Charter update 2010, not independent systems. What are the requirements? To use the Charter 2010 ASP Logo on pack a company must: 1) sign up to the Charter update 2010 Commitment Letter and Trade Mark License (see Chapter 11); 2) in respect of the ASP system: => verify that the product has been manufactured at a site covered by the CSP verification for at least 75% of the total production => check the product s profile against the ASP requirements (possible ESC requirements and other key LCA Parameters) and verify that it equals or exceeds the stated Advanced Sustainability Profile; => ensure the product label provides relevant end-user sustainability information as prescribed for each category by Charter 2010; => report to A.I.S.E. (via the relevant appendix in the commitment letter) products for which the company is claiming the ASP logo => use the Charter update 2010 ASP logo on those relevant complying products. 3) agree to random verification of the self-certification process by an A.I.S.E.-appointed independent verifier 4) report to A.I.S.E. (in addition to the other KPIs) on percentage of the total production in compliance with the industry ASPs. Companies need to be members of Charter update 2010 to participate in the ASP system. Further details on all the elements of the system are given in the sections below. 16

17 b) Consumer and I&I products: Advanced Sustainability Profiles (ASPs) - ASP PRINCIPLES: How does the ASP system for consumer product categories work? The ASP for a given product category describes the product group characteristics which the industry considers represent a good sustainability profile that is ambitious but reasonably achievable by all. The system works by the company self-certifying its product against tables of values covering environmental safety and certain key drivers of sustainability. Random external verification is also organized in order to secure some control of the system (in addition to market observation). Life-Cycle Analysis as starting point The methodology used to assess which parameters are relevant per product category relies on Life Cycle Analysis. It is on that basis that A.I.S.E. and its experts gather scientific evidence and market knowledge, and ultimately, propose the relevant ASP parameters. - TARGETED LCA PARAMETERS: What are the Key LCA Parameters? The parameters are defined based on an life cycle analysis. Those will thus be tailored per product category. Each product category will have a set of threshold values and other potential requirements focused on the three or four most important parameters affecting the sustainability profile of the category according to industry expert life cycle analysis. The relative importance of the parameters is decided according to what will deliver the greatest improvement overall in sustainability. Typically, in relation to a standard dose, this means the focus is on the weight of the product, the weight of packaging, the proportion of packaging recyclable, the recommended temperature, and the provision of appropriate end-use information. The thresholds are set at a level intended to be aspirational but reasonably achievable by all. A substantiation dossier explaining the rationale for selecting the parameters and thresholds will be developed and accompany the ASP for legal/transparency reasons. Any product intended carry the Charter update 2010 ASP Logo on pack must at least match all the parameters required and the threshold values for the product category, and comply with the requirements for end-use information. One of these LCA parameters may comprise an Environmental Safety Check (e.g. for laundry detergents and fabric conditioners). A product will pass the ESC test if all the ingredients in the product formulation are shown to give environmental concentrations at or below the predicted no-effect level for aquatic toxicity MORE INFO! For ESC requirements carefully read ASP documentation on Charter technical website: Threshold values have so far been established for laundry powders and liquids and fabric conditioners, and are provided in further detail in a separate document (see Charter website ASP documentation). An overview of the ASP for laundry detergent powders is presented below. Further sets of thresholds will developed over the next few months. All these thresholds and information requirements are subject to full consultation with participants in each category, as detailed below (see ASP Adoption Process section). Wherever possible, the thresholds and information requirements will adopt and/or build on current sectoral initiatives (see Chapter 4). 17

18 How will the Key LCA Parameters work? A.I.S.E will provide on the Charter website tables of thresholds and relevant end-use information formats for each product category for the purpose of enabling companies to self-certify their product profiles versus the category ASP system. A company will need to verify that the product at least matches the threshold values, and that it uses the correct end-use information (see below). Draft Example: proposed ASP for household laundry detergent powders (28 June 2010) Product formulation: Packaging weight per job: Packaging re-cycled content : Board: 60% End User Information: Performance: Pass Environmental safety Check (ESC) AND Dosage g/job: 85g AND Dosage ml/job: 135ml Total (primary + secondary but excluding tertiary) packaging: 7.0g/job End-user info on-pack: Washright panel AND Ability to wash at 30 C indicated on pack Evidence has to be provided that the product has been performance tested and reached a level acceptable to consumers consistent with claims made. MORE INFO! In order to be informed on ASPs available for use/implementation by the industry, please visit: and more particularly, Chapter C: Product ASPs - ASP: END-USE INFORMATION End-use information Because the use phase is so important in the overall sustainability of products, it is considered essential for cleaning and detergent products to provide certain relevant info on-pack in order to help the end-user use the product in the most sustainable way. How will End-use information work? For every product category subject to an ASP, Charter update 2010 will provide a recommended format of information including how and where it is optimally displayed. This may be as little as a reference to the Cleanright website, or as much as the Washright panel, according to what is most appropriate. Detail of aspects/text or visuals to be featured per product category will be included in each ASP (see Charter documentation and following link: - PROCESS FOR ADOPTION OF THE ASPs The process for the development of specific Advanced Sustainable Profiles (ASPs) for further product categories will be respecting the following steps: 1. Identification of product category and installation of A.I.S.E. Task Force a. Proposal by an industry sector or companies to develop (new) ASPs for one product category b. A.I.S.E. Secretariat analyses the proposal and its feasible (e.g. check whether proposed product category is covered by Charter, grouping possible etc), in liaison with the A.I.S.E Sustainability Steering Group c. If positive, Secretariat to forward of proposal to A.I.S.E. Management Committee d. Confirmation by A.I.S.E. Management Committee and installation of TF to develop new ASPs for this product category e. A.I.S.E. secretariat nominates A.I.S.E. project manager and calls for nomination of experts for TF via the industry network 18

19 f. TF nominates chairman and sets up an indicative time frame for ASPs developments (NB: need of ESC and possible new LCA to be taken into account; see below, 2.a. and 2.b.) 2. Development by the Task Force of ASP criteria and thresholds a. TF to establish or provide Life Cycle Analysis (already available or still to be elaborated) b. TF to identify LCA criteria and propose thresholds, based on scientific and market knowledge c. TF to check whether environmental safety check (ESC) (or similar approach) and verification of performance of product category is needed d. If ESC (or similar approach) is needed, TF to identify substances and all necessary information in order to be able to be included in ESC tool OR to develop similar approach e. TF to assess need for preliminary testing of proposed criteria f. TF to propose a recommendation on timing for consultation and activation regarding the implementation of such ASP g. TF to prepare substantiation dossier* on development of ASPs and thresholds *Substantiation dossier: A.I.S.E. will provide a detailed substantiation document for each set of product category LCA parameters, explaining the process of deciding the thresholds. These documents are an integral part of supporting the legality of the ASP system. 3. Internal A.I.S.E. consultation and endorsement a. TF/A.I.S.E. secretariat to present ASPs and substantiation dossier to SSG for approval b. Legal approval of ASPs and substantiation dossier by eg A.I.S.E. Legal Panel c. If approved, presentation of new ASPs and substantiation dossier to A.I.S.E. Board for endorsement prior to consultation 4. Internal (industry) and External consultation and activation a. Consultation on new ASPs and their proposed timing regarding activation with Charter member companies and other interested parties (industry/external stakeholders as appropriate) b. Finalisation of ASPs based on input received c. Charter project team/a.i.s.e. Board to embed new ASPs in Charter 2010 and make those available to industry, providing also dates for the final availability of the ASP to industry and the activation period (based on recommendation received from the consultation). - PRODUCT CATEGORIES AND TIMEPLAN Product categories in the A.I.S.E. household and I&I sector will be subject to the drafting of specific ASPs. It is proposed that those are grouped per market, allowing therefore all the potential product categories of a given market to be made available at the same time to industry. Those ASPs will be developed in waves and thus be progressively made available to the companies for implementation. They will, over time, be also subject to an update at regular intervals, providing as well adequate guidance for transition to the updated ASP criteria applicable to this same product category. An indicative timing of the foreseen availability of the first ASPs is provided as follows. Guidance from members of the industry as concerns the grouping, timing for development and willingness to contribute to their development had been sought through the 20 Oct-12 Nov 2009 consultation, based on the proposal below: 19

20 PILOT PRODUCTS (available mid 2010): Wave 1 (availability: 1 July 2010 for training): => Household sector: - Laundry powders (including heavy and light duty, as well as colour detergents) - Laundry liquids (including heavy and light duty, as well as colour detergents and wool/silk detergents) - Fabric conditioners MORE INFO! To obtain the ASP for the above products, please consult and more particularly, Chapter C: Product ASPs PRIORITY PRODUCTS (from launch till mid-2011): Wave 2 (estimated availability: Mid 2011 onwards- TBC): Household sector: - Automatic dishwashing detergents - Manual dishwashing detergents Wave 3 (estimated availability: Mid 2011 onwards- TBC): Household sector: - All Purpose Cleaners - Specialty Cleaners A (kitchen, toilet, bathroom) Wave 4 (estimated availability: End 2011-TBC): Household sector: - Air Fresheners (aerosol style, candles, electric plug in style, others) Wave 5 (estimated availability: End TBC): Institutional sector: - Kitchen & Catering ) - Building Care ) All grouped under one common set of parameters - Laundry ) OTHER PRODUCTS: An analysis based on learning from waves 1-5 will be conducted and submitted to the A.I.S.E. Board. On that basis, the development of ASPs for the product categories below will be assessed. This exercise would take place end around end early 2012 onwards. => Household sector: - Specialty Cleaners B (bleach, oven, others) - Insecticides => Household sector: - Laundry aids (bleach additives, clothes refreshers, stain removers, starch, water softeners) - Laundry soaps - Machine dishwash aids (glass inhibitor, machine cleaner, machine deodorizer, rinse aids, regeneration slates) - Maintenance products (leather maintenance, shoe care, wood maintenance) => Industrial Cleaning sector: - Technical cleaning - Food & Beverage - Others Note: it may be that for some products, a certain grouping is proposed for synergies, optimisation. This is for example the case for the institutional cleaning products (subject to public tender/public procurement). 20

21 c) Verification of compliance with ASPs How will verification work? The basic approach will be to operate verification in the same way as is already done with the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). For these, A.I.S.E. has a contract with an international audit and certification firm (SGS) which conducts an annual random analysis of the way Charter Members have calculated their KPI returns. The verification is done by examining documents on site at the company s head office. For verification of compliance with the ASPs, this will be organized on a random sample of the company s ASP products. Companies involved will need to have duly recorded their compliance with ASPs and prepare for such checks by making available this documentation (and specifically, the ASP compliance excel tool that should be duly recorded per product applying the ASP). Similar requirements apply to the ESC check when applicable. Possible further audits in other companies (than the ones selected for the KPI check) are also foreseen in parallel. Funding for such work as done currently for the KPI checks is covered centrally by A.I.S.E. as part of the main Charter budget. Contacts with potential verifiers are being taken by A.I.S.E. for the organization of such random compliance checks, both the for the ASP LCA criteria and for the ESC compliance. How to secure correct use of the ASP logo? Adequate implementation of the Charter update 2010 and specifically, of the product dimension is a critical element for the credibility of the scheme. A.I.S.E. has therefore developed the necessary governance material and steps to be taken in case a potential misuse of the Charter logos would be observed on the market. Details are explained below 11)b) Infringement d) Update of the ASPs A.I.S.E. commits to establish ASPs for those product categories covered by A.I.S.E. and where companies have manifested interest, and to keep those established ASPs up to date. The ASPs will be updated on a regular or a need basis after consultation of the companies and with appropriate transitional arrangements so as to maintain a satisfactory level of sustainability throughout the duration of the scheme. All Charter members will be duly informed should any ASP be updated and thus, due to be complied with after the adequate transition period. Requirements included in the ASP (for example ESC for wave 1 products) and the potential upgrade of ASPs needed due to potential upgrades of the ESC tool (eg for wave 1 products) should be duly noted by companies (in this particular case, see ESC governance documentation) 21

22 9. Charter 2010: KPIs a) KPI requirements: The Charter update 2010 defines a set of 11 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which are specifically linked to the CSPs. Companies that sign up to the Charter 2010 are required to report annually to A.I.S.E. on these KPIs. A.I.S.E. collects and aggregates the results and publishes them in the annual A.I.S.E. Activity & Sustainability Report, providing measurable evidence of the progress of the whole industry sector on a European level. KPI reporting is based on the results from companies which are Ordinary members of the Charter as at 31 st December in each year, and the companies report their results for their own financial years ending during the calendar year. Associate members, predominantly multiple retailers placing products on the market under their own labels but manufactured by Ordinary members, do not normally report directly but contribute to the reporting by individual Ordinary members where they hold relevant information. A.I.S.E. ensures full transparency of the reported KPIs by conducting independent random verification of companies KPI calculation methods. KPI main headings: Company participation Chemical safety evaluation Occupational health and safety Consumer and customer safety Consumer and user information Use of poorly biodegradable organics Consumed energy CO 2 emitted Consumed water Waste Packaging used - Percentage of product complying with ASP status MORE INFO! To obtain the KPI Detailed explanation, please consult b) KPI reporting review There is no major change in the current KPI reporting system. However, for Charter update 2010 it is proposed to modify the presentation of some KPIs in the final report, subject to no loss of comparability versus prior years, in order to ensure the results adequately reflect the true trends, including also taking into consideration aspects such as concentration of products. Note: It is possible that for companies having signed Charter 2005 or Charter update 2010, additional specifications regarding KPI progress may be asked if deemed appropriate by A.I.S.E./Deloitte in order to better understand how KPI evolve. c) Independent verification The KPI reporting is also externally verified through a process of random audits managed by A.I.S.E. (See Chapter 7). A.I.S.E bears the cost of this verification from its Charter budget. 22

23 10. Charter update 2010: On pack indication/trade Marks Principles: From widespread internal consultation the following general principles have emerged: 1. Charter update 2010 logos build on the existing Charter 2005 material; 2. Charter update 2010 comprise of only 2 logos: the company logo and the company/product logo (corresponding to ASP status); 3. Companies currently committed to Charter 2005 which migrate to Charter update 2010 shall use the Charter update 2010 logo(s) on their products and stop using the set of Charter 2005 logos (within a certain transition period, see Migration document); 4. The Charter update 2010 logos will drive consumers to the industry portal 5. Compliance to all aspects of Charter update 2010 grants the use of both Charter update 2010 logos as proposed below Charter update 2010 ASP logo: A specific logo is introduced with Charter 2010 for use only with products which achieve ASP status and comply with all Charter 2010 requirements. It builds on the current version but has been elaborated in some way to indicate the ASP status. Its use will be dependent on availability of the relevant ASPs parameters for the different products categories and adequate compliance of the product. Placing of the logo on pack will be left at the discretion of companies but may be put on the front of the pack. Charter update 2010 company logo: For companies committed to Charter update 2010 for which no ASP is available, or for which products do not comply with the ASP requirements but which have successfully passed the CSP Entrance Checks, the following logo is made available. Placing of the logo on packs will be left at the discretion of companies but A.I.S.E. recommends that this is adjacent to the name and contact detail of the company placing the product on the market but not on front of the pack. Please note that in both cases, only 1 version of these Charter logos can be used on pack. Companies remaining in Charter 2005 (and not signing Charter 2010) will continue to be allowed to use the Charter 2005 logo(s). Companies signing Charter update 2010 will be able to: - use the New ASP logo on those products meeting the full Charter 2010 and ASP requirements, as per activation date provided in the ASP. - or, when there is no ASP yet available they will be able to use the new 2010 company logo featured above i.e. a modernised 2005 logo on non-asp products - or, when they do not meet the full Charter 2010 requirements for specific products, they will be able to use the new 2010 company logo. The use of the new logos will be feasible as from 1 st July 2011 at the earliest, and subject to activation timing linked to the ASPs as and when available. The use of the accompanying sentence is mandatory for all countries and should be done according to the technical guidelines and translations provided by A.I.S.E. 23

24 NB: Companies having signed Charter 2005 and migrating to Charter 2010 will be granted a specific transition period for ending the use of the Charter 2005 logos on packs. (see Migration document). Should a company migrate to Charter update 2010, then, the use of the 2010 logos will be requested. However, a transition period of one year after the signing by the company to Charter 2010 will be made possible to phase out the use of the Charter 2005 logos. In any event the Company will make its best to stop using the Charter 2005 logos and to switch to the 2010 logos as soon as possible after the signing up to Charter 2010, or at least as soon as the first artwork change is organized, and no later than three years after signing up. Notes 1: For those companies committing to Charter 2010 (but not yet member of Charter 2005), a transition logo (see below) will be provided for possible use on packs till 1 July : Charter 2005 companies, migrating to Charter 2010 have 1 year to phase out the Charter 2005 logos from the date they commit. Should they commit prior to 1 July 2011, the one year phase out period starts from 1 July

25 6. Charter update 2010: Implementation procedure a) Implementation principles Charter update 2010 is open - To all companies involved in the soaps, detergents and maintenance products market, member or non member of A.I.S.E. s National Associations (see full list via - It applies to both Ordinary members (i.e. manufacturers) and Associate members (i.e. private label companies, importers or distributors marketing products under their own name). - The geographical scope for Charter update 2010 is EU + Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Charter update 2010 is an upgrade Charter 2010 is an entire upgraded version of Charter 2005, not just a set of additional measures. The overall aim is to encourage companies to migrate to Charter 2010 while safeguarding the rights and commitments contained in Charter 2005 until such time as either all members of Charter 2005 have upgraded or if the A.I.S.E. Board decides to close Charter Why upgrade to Charter update 2010? Upgrading to Charter 2010 is obligatory for Members to be able to use the ASP system. It is acknowledged that not all product categories will have fully elaborated ASP Parameters when Charter 2010 is first introduced. Implementation will be in series of waves, with the laundry products categories going first (training from July 2010). Commitments in Charter update 2010 for Ordinary Members migrating from Charter 2005 The additional commitments a company takes on by migrating to Charter 2010 will be to: o Sign up to the Charter update 2010 Commitment Letter and Trade Mark License (see Chapter 11); o Compliance with the new 2010 CSP table and relevant checks for minimum 75% of its production (instead of 50% for Charter see Chapter 6). Verification takes place once every three years. Therefore if a company has just completed a triennial verification under Charter 2005, shortly before upgrading to Charter update 2010, there will not need to be a re-verification under Charter update 2010 rules until the next triennial verification is due, but an evidence has to be provided that at least 75% of the total production is covered and random checks may be conducted by A.I.S.E. to verify this. o o Commit to the product dimension requirements and therefore: - Take note and good understanding of the ASPs as available - Inform A.I.S.E. on the fact that the concerned product is part of their portfolio and that they will apply the ASP to their production and report accordingly - Verify that the product has been manufactured at a site covered by the CSP verification (see Chapter 6); => check the product s profile against the ASP Parameters and verify that it equals or exceeds the stated Advanced Sustainability Profiles; => ensure the product label provides relevant end-user sustainability information as prescribed for each category by Charter Agree to random verification of the self-certification process by an A.I.S.E.- appointed independent verifier Under the commitment of Charter 2010, to provide annual KPI reports to A.I.S.E., to provide new annual data for the additional KPI on ASP progress for the data submission window (see Chapter 9), and to the other KPIs as per the possible adjustments proposed. (Note: there will be no specific signing to the ASPs as/when they become available; the provision by A.I.S.E. of such ASPs will automatically require that companies: - take note of those and thus, 25

26 - strive to enforce them in their product portfolio as and when they become available and - report on such compliance to A.I.S.E. via the KPI reporting. A system will be proposed so that should a company not have such products in their product portfolio a specific reporting element be communicated eg Not Applicable.) Automatic right to upgrade to Charter update 2010 Companies which are Ordinary Members of Charter 2005 at the date of introduction of Charter 2010 will have the automatic right to upgrade to Charter update 2010 at any time (as from Oct 1 st 2010) after introduction of Charter update 2010 up to the date of closure of Charter 2005 (if it is ever decided to close it). They will need to do so as soon as they wish to take advantage of the ASP system and the new Charter update 2010 logos. The process will consist of signing the revised commitment letter and the revised trade mark license letter and warranting that 75% of its production is covered at the time of signature. For those companies, use of Charter update 2010 logos will be granted. Companies which are Associate Members of Charter 2005 will also have the automatic right to upgrade to Charter update 2010, and will need to do so as soon as they wish any of their products placed on the market under their own name to take advantage of the ASP. ASP status will be available for such products provided that the products have been manufactured by an Ordinary Member which has also upgraded to Charter update 2010, and the Associate Member has signed the Charter update 2010 Associate member revised letter and corresponding trade mark agreement. Where an Associate Member was committed to Charter 2005 under the previous Associate Membership Agreement, upgrading to Associate Membership Agreement Version 2010 is necessary for using the ASP system but does not exclude the possibility to continue to use Charter 2005 Trademarks on Relevant Products manufactured by Ordinary Members remaining in Charter 2005; Associate Members committing to Charter update 2010 may benefit from the use of the Charter 2005 trademark on Relevant Products manufactured by Ordinary Members remaining in Charter MORE INFO! For all details regarding the transition from Charter 2005 to Charter update 2010 for companies having already committed to the fist version of the scheme, please consult the Charter 2005-Charter 2010 Transition and How to join documents (see ). Charter 2005 continuation Charter 2005 will continue to exist alongside Charter update 2010 in its present form with no changes. There will be no immediate requirement to upgrade to Charter update Companies will continue to be able to use the present Charter logo under the current commitment letter and trade mark license until any decision is made to close Charter 2005 (if it is ever decided to close it). Transition periods Charter 2005 is proposed to continue indefinitely unless a decision for it to be closed after a suitable migration period is approved by a vote of the Ordinary Members of the Charter following a proposal of the A.I.S.E. Board. New joiners Once the Charter 2010 package is available (i.e. 1 st July 2010 for training ; 1 st October 2010 for commitment), A.I.S.E. and its National Associations will be invited to focus their promotion efforts to members and non-members on Charter update

27 For companies which are not yet members of Charter 2005 but prefer to join under the Charter 2005 regime instead of Charter update 2010, this will be possible until 31 st December 2010, provided that the company was in the Charter 2005 training area prior to 1 July After 31 st December 2010, commitment to Charter update 2010 only is made available. For companies that are in the Charter 2005 training area, they will be able to either: - migrate to Charter 2010 training area and join the new scheme as and when they wish - or join Charter 2005 before the 31 st December New Commitment Letter and Trade Mark License for Charter update 2010 Upgrading to Charter update 2010 will entail signing a new commitment letter and trade mark license, replacing those for Charter Each company having signed the current 2005 Charter version has received a letter from A.I.S.E. officially inviting them to join the upgraded 2010 version. The rights and requirements under Charter update 2010 will be the same as Charter 2005 but will have a few additional or strengthened points included. Charter 2010 Commitment letters are available for Ordinary members on one hand and Associate Members on the other hand. A Charter update 2010 Trade mark license for Ordinary and Associate Members is also available. Imports The same rules for imports and third party manufactured products as under Charter 2005 will continue to apply as follows: Where a product is manufactured outside the Charter area and is imported and placed on the market of one or more countries within the Charter area the Charter does not prevent that product from bearing the Charter symbol provided that the manufacturer is a full member of the Charter. The same commitments to the CSPs, ASPs and verification process apply to manufacturers situated outside the Charter area as to those situated inside the Charter area. Fees Similar conditions than the ones in place for Charter 2005 continue to apply, i.e.: o Ordinary Charter members which are not member of A.I.S.E. nor of one of its national associations shall pay an annual administration fee of 1,500. o Ordinary Charter members which are member of A.I.S.E. or one of its national associations pay no fee. o Associate Charter members pay no fee b) Infringement In case an infringement by a Charter 2010 member is detected, a specific procedure will apply. This procedure is laid down in Article 7.1 of the License Agreement as follows: The Licensor [A.I.S.E.] shall as soon as he becomes aware of an alleged infringement by the Licensee [the Company] give the Licensee in writing full particulars of the use that might constitute an infringement of this License Agreement, including the time period to remedy the infringement. The Licensee shall reply in writing within twenty- eight (28) days. In the event that the Licensee agrees his use of the Trademark does constitute an infringement of the License Agreement, he shall remedy the breach within sixty (60) days as requested by the Licensor in the letter referred to above. This remedy may include a requirement to cease use of the Trademarks on the products until the infringement has been remedied. In the event that the Licensor and the Licensee do not come to an agreement on the alleged infringement, the Licensor will refer the matter to an independent verifier whose assessment will be definitive for the purpose of assessing the infringement. Where the alleged infringement was notified to the Licensor by the verifier following a random verification procedure at the Company, the Licensee may send additional data to allow the verifier to further assess the alleged 27

28 infringement, and costs shall be born by the Licensee. Where the Licensor was made aware of an alleged infringement by means other than verifications he may send a verifier to further investigate the alleged infringement. If the verification carried out shows proof of an infringement, the Licensor reserves the right to charge the Licensee a fee covering the administrative expenses incurred by the Licensor for this verification up to ten thousand (10 000) Euros per infringing Product as defined in 1.16, payable within twenty-eight (28) days. Where the verifier confirms the infringement, the Licensee will be requested by the Licensor to remedy the infringement within 60 days. The remedy may include a requirement to cease use of the Trademarks on the infringing Products until the infringement has been remedied. Also see Appendix C Infringement process/flow chart 12. Charter update 2010: Legal review The Charter 2010 package was reviewed by law firm Ashurst and by the A.I.S.E. Legal Panel which confirmed the validity project from a legal standpoint. 13. Charter update 2010 Consultation, communications and timetable Consultations and main milestones on overall Charter 2010 principles: : Regular consultations with A.I.S.E. groups; regional workshops in France, Germany, Spain; on-line consultations - 1 st July 2010: Starting date for training for Charter 2010 by companies - 1 st October 2010: Companies can start to commit officially to Charter st July 2011: Activation of Charter 2010 in the market. External consultations on overall Charter 2010 principles: 2008: Informal consultations with European Commission (DG Enterprise, DG Environment) on main principles; broad support obtained; May 2009: Detailed consultation on Institutional Cleaning products proposal with DG Enterprise/DG Environment; Sept.-Nov onwards: Consultation of other stakeholders (DG Entr, DG Envt, Trade, EEB, BEUC, ANEC, Targeted Member States) Wave 1 products consultations and availability: - Internally and externally: 2009: Development of proposed ASPs From 18 Dec till 27 Jan. 2010: Internal and external consultations on ASPs for Wave 1 products (with ASPs and substantiation dossiers) April 2010: ESC consultation for wave 1 products 1 st July 2010: Availability of ASPs for wave 1 products to the A.I.S.E. network(including ESC package, main principles) 1 st July 2011: Activation period for use of Charter 2010 company and ASP logos by companies Technical implementation: Update of the Charter website and extranet system with the revised CSP and KPI requirements is being made available as from 1 st July 2010 via Communications: An overall plan for communications at EU and national level with regard to public presentation of the upgraded Charter for Sustainable Cleaning will be drawn up by the A.I.S.E. Sustainability Steering Group mid-end

29 A.I.S.E. is fully committed to securing that adequate communication activities be organised in order to explain the Charter 2010 to the public, and raise awareness of the corresponding Charter 2010 logos. Further consultation will be organized on this topic and further information will be shared within the A.I.S.E. network of National Associations in It is foreseen that by the time products featuring the new Charter 2010 visuals start appearing on the shelves in Europe, such communication activities (including update of the public website to start with) will be initiated. Contacts with stakeholders at EU/national Level will be undertaken as from 1 st October 2010 onwards

30 Appendices APPENDIX A: The SCP/SIP ACTION PLAN In July 2008, the European Commission released an Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and production/sustainable Industrial Policy (SCP/SIP), in the context of the Lisbon Strategy ( ) and the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) adopted in This Action Plan is essentially lead by DG Environment, DG Enterprise and Industry, DG Energy. The activities in the Action Plan include: 1/ A dynamic framework for smarter consumption and better products Eco-design requirements for more products. Targeting all energy-related products that do not consume energy during use but have an indirect impact on energy consumption will be covered in future. See: (current scope) IPR false/default_en.htm (new scope) Reinforced energy and environmental labelling. Linked to eco-design compliance and ecolabel regulation. Incentives Only products attaining a certain level of energy or environmental performance identified by one of the labelling classes will be eligible for (fiscal) incentives. It will be up to Member States whether and in which form to provide such incentives. Promote Green Public procurement for highly performing products. Criteria to be defined by the Commission for products and services for public authorities. Working with retailers and consumers. Set up of a Retail Forum including other stakeholders such as producers. Support for actions to increase consumers awareness (incl. on-line education tools). 2/ Promoting leaner production Resource efficiency, eco-innovation Developing targets and tools to monitor benchmark and promote resource efficiency and ecoinnovation. An Environmental Technology Verification scheme will be established, to support eco-innovation through increased confidence in new technologies. Environmental potential of industry Revising EMAS, The EU s voluntary eco-management and audit scheme, to increase its uptake, notably among SMEs by making participation less costly and involving organizations outside the EU. Developing an industrial policy for eco-industries by first analysing the barriers to their expansion and to their full uptake by other sectors. Promoting environmental performance in small enterprises (SMEs) through customized advice. 3/ Sustainable consumption and production internationally Supporting agreements of industry sectors (Sectoral approaches) as part of international climate negotiations. Promoting and sharing good practice internationally on SCP, as part of the UN SCP 10 year programme (Marrakesh process). Promoting international trade in environmentally friendly goods and services. 30

31 APPENDIX B: TABLE OF CSP EQUIVALENCES/SYNERGIES WITH OTHER SCHEMES (summary) To see the full package related to this topic, please consult the Charter website on This final guidance summary table is based on Charter 2010 CSP ISO 9001 ISO / EMAS A1 A1* A2 B C D E F G H I J1 J2 K1 K2 L * for I & I - products BS OHSAS Key: Standard contains no requirements to fulfil the CSP. (Relatively easy to adopt, some actions needed) Standard could fulfil the CSP under certain conditions. (Easily adoptable, few efforts needed) Standard fulfils the CSP (at least scoring level 3). (no actions needed) 31

32 APPENDIX C: COMPLIANCE PROCESS/FLOW CHART 32